I can’t speak to Scott, but I like most Canadians contribute a big chunk of our discretionary income to the US and US owned companies. My biggest purchase in the last 10years was a Ford F150 truck made in a US plant for example. My bikes were either made in the US or sold to me by a US company.

So from that perspective I’d say Canadians help out with the US economy quite a bit…=-)

also, thank you for putting this list together. i built my newest bike in 2003. it is all USA, Canada, and europe, except for the front derailleur (i pulled it off one of my other bikes). i think it would be much harder to do this today. i am putting this website in my bookmarks.

Hey Mateo, that is disappointing. EWR has evidently followed so many companies in making the switch to overseas production. I can’t find much information on their current website. Thanks for letting me know, I’ve taken them off the list.

Here’s another for the list! North St. Bags in Portland, Oregon. Curtis specializes in panniers and convertible backpack-panniers. I own a set of his Route 7 panniers and Avenue B backpack-panniers. And he’s building me a handlebar bag!http://northstbags.com/

Thanks for posting this list; I didn’t have some of these. I also keep a running list of USA-made products. One of these days I’ll get around to adding to it our site. In the meantime, I’ll throw some others out there:

Thanks for this great list- got a replacement jacket from J&G. FWI- I noticed that aerotech in particular has outsourced their jackets so no MUSA that I could find from them. Seemed like J&G has really got a niche for themselves…

Thanks for this great list- I got a jacket from J&G who seem to have found a great niche. A lot of the other vendors (Aerotech for instance) appear to have “outsources” their jackets but left that detail in very small print…

Po Campo makes some of its bike bags (panniers and handlebar bags) in the USA. They used to all be made in the USA, and now they’re starting to make some in China (bummer!). http://pocampo.com/

Thanks for this list! I’m looking to buy a new road bike (preferably for under $2,000) and I’d like it to be USA-made. I didn’t realize how difficult it was going to be! Thanks for narrowing down the process. 🙂

Hi Tanya. Thank you for the update on Po Campo. I’ve changed the listing, above. And best wishes on getting a USA-made road bike. As you’re no doubt finding, keeping it under 2k is going to be tricky. What about getting an aluminum road or cyclocross frame (e.g., the Ellsworth Roots, which I think is made in-house by them) and then fork, wheels, and parts package from a discount on-line source?

From time to time I’ve thought about trying to build up a bike with as much USA sourced elements as is possible. Some things, like tires, are just not possible. It would, of course, just be a hobby exercise (and, alas, an expensive one at that).

I’ll also put in a plug here that the notion of USA-made can be extended morally to “non-sweatshop made”, thus making the sourcing of an “ethical bicycle” a much more feasible endeavor.

Looking only slightly afield, for instance, there are two mass produced frame manufacturers located just across the northern border in Quebec, Marinoni & Devinci. Each sell complete bikes AND stand-alone frames (the latter of which that could serve as a jumping off point) several of which (complete bikes) come in for around US$2000. These and others can be found here:

Also, assuming you’re not averse to steel, its not a bad idea to consider buying (via ebay, craiglist, etc.) a used USA-made steel frame, having it sand blasted, checked for damage, customized if need be (adding or removing braze-ons, etc.) and then powder coated. Components purchased piecemeal either new, a mix of new and old/gently-used, or all used then completes the ride.

As an example of what’s possible, one of my favorite bikes is a c.1974 Raleigh Super Course MKii (main tubes are Reynolds 531) that I found hanging in a barn and modified into an almost “all-ethical fixie” back in 2007. Fixies (or single speeds) offer great potential to stay relatively inexpensive and domestic thanks to their modest use of parts and the existence of US-fabricators like Phil Wood, Paul, White Industries, Chris King, Velocity, etc. offering exceptional parts. In my build, I tore the bike down, used a torch to remove unnecessary braze-ons and (with the donation of some left-over flux and silver solder from a LBS brazed on some new ones, paid a company to media blast and then powder coat it, purchased a Taiwanese (I know!) fork with canti bosses and the various other required components and used a 3T stem, half a set of XTR M900 canti-brakes and a Brooks saddle I already owned to build it all up new. A little Weigels’s frame-saver later and the bike will now easily outlast me. And all for just under US$1000. In fact, my avatar highlights this bike’s seatpost cluster. I could have (and probably should have) gone US-made as I describe above, but I chose instead to pay homage to the bike’s quasi-continental heritage by staying (apart from the new Taiwanese fork) Italian and French (Miche & Mavic). The bike offers a workout unparalleled by multiple geared or freewheeled bikes.

Thanks for the tips, Joe and Kai. Rodruiguez is at the top of my list. I’m also open to buying a used bike, but my first preference is to buy new. I’m hesitant to buy a bunch of parts separately and build it up since I’m not a bike expert. I kind of would feel more comfortable being able to test-ride a bike that’s already been built so I can see if it feels right for me.

Really good point about “fit”. Along those lines please allow me to suggest that you to get in touch with a reputable frame builder and have them provide, in exchange for modest payment, a general idea about what size frame/general geometry you are looking for. This knowledge is priceless. Basically, you provide them your various anatomical measurements per their instructions plus tell them what kind of riding you are looking to do and they (likely using a spreadsheet/program or some old-school figuring) produce a sheet of paper with the dimensions of your ideal frame that includes suggested stem length/rise, suggested seat post type, suggested crank lengths, etc. With this information in hand you’re then empowered to go out into the world to compare and contrast the various product offerings, whether new or used. Without this essential information, you might find yourself floundering and thus at the relative mercy of well-intentioned but perhaps unqualified shop hands and/or others who don’t necessarily have your best interests in mind. Arm yourself with a little expert knowledge and you might find a whole world opening up to you that you didn’t even know was there. After all US$2000 is a lot of money and it would be unfortunate for it to go to waste on a bike that you don’t absolutely love.

Finally, I hear your hesitation towards buying random parts. I find that one of the best parts of my love for bicycles is the skill I have acquired to build them and fix them. While I generally leave the tool-intensive jobs like reaming, headset and initial bottom bracket installation and wheel building to my trusted LBS, I do everything else. Of course, back in the day I didn’t know how to do any of this stuff. But thanks to a local private initiative – a shop set up to rent tools and stands and provide instruction – and some trial and error, I learned the basics which I then practiced until I became capable (at least I like to think so!).

So, if you’re at all open to the idea of expanding your current skill-set, and interested in exerting even more control over your cycling, then make sure to check out the offerings (particularly any women-only opportunities) that may exist in your town. A bicycle seems like a complicated thing, but the beauty is that its simplicity reveals itself once a rider gains some experience. And the feeling that comes from being you’re own mechanic is truly awesome. Here’s some inspiration (pay particular to the young Ghanian women’s story beginning at 5:22):

I appreciate you compiling this list. I’ve been making conscious purchases for a long time so it’s nice to see where I should look first for my bicycle needs. Question for everyone and anyone: are there really no helmets made in the states? I’ve done a ton of searching and all I can come up with is cheaper models sold at stores I would rather not support. Thanks again for the great list and the blog.

Hey, that’s great! I wonder when they changed their policy? Last I’d checked they were domestic only. Back when I shopped there I could only do so when I found myself in Totonto, Montreal or Quebec City (for that very reason). Thanks for the update!

Amazing website and incredibly useful info!. i am in the market for a touring bike. First time Touring bike. Plan on touring by end of this yr. Torn between Surly LHT or Co-motion Pangea. I have heard mixed reviews regarding Surlys but that is what i have been leaning towards but will certainly consider the Pangea as well. Kindly help plz.

I’m happy to hear about your ambition to tour. The human pace and scale of it makes it for me the best way to see places and people. I hope you enjoy it.

I’m surprised that you’ve heard mixed reports about the Long Haul Trucker. I view it as an incredible value in a stable, versatile, capable bike. I rode my LHT in Nepal, in Southeast Asia, and in the Middle East. I still have one, though I usually ride other bicycles now. I honestly think there’s no ground for complaint about that bicycle.

Now, the Pangea is undoubtably a lovely machine. Co-Motion is a top company, their work is impeccable, and they’re an important part of the Eugene, Oregon community. I doubt you’d be unhappy with one of those, but do you need that high end a bike to start out with? My instinct says LHT, but say more about the considerations that are driving you.

Thanks for your reply! and feedback regarding the Surly. Later on this month or end of May after saving up some Cash i plan on jumping in and purchasing a complete surly bike from a dealer in Pismo beach California (gives me a reason to visit the coast). I’m about 2 hrs away from the coast inland in Bakersfield. Any other piece of info or advise you feel may come in handy down the road?

Check out Burro Bags, also. Made in Jacksonville, FL. Using reclaimed material for some items and custom options for higher end bags…great artist series as well!! Love your neighbor, buy American…the job you may be saving next, may be your own

Just came across a new website detailing made-in-California bicycle racks (currently two front racks made of powder coated steel on offer) and a simple single wheel trailer. Great to see a front platform rack made of steel that’s also MUSA!

I’m certainly a big fan of Surly, as their Karate Monkey was my first 2-9, and the Long Haul Trucker and the Pugsley are two of my favorite bikes. But they don’t make this list because their frames are made (to a very high quality and responsibly from the human rights perspective) in Taiwan. This Made in USA list is solely for companies doing their manufacturing domestically.

Joe,
I strongly urge you to remove hbc (homebrewedcomponents.com) His product was good one of the two I got, the other one broke. I gave Dan Wilcox (the owner) 200 bucks about two years ago and have tried to contact him over a dozen times (using varied emails to account for spam filters) – he never responds to my emails. buyers beware…

[…] You want to look for bags that are waterproof, and constructed well. Here at RBA we like to look for locally made or USA made bike gear, and there is a good list here of many awesome brands in The States: https://joecruz.wordpress.com/usa-made-cycling-gear/. […]